Cloth-cutting machine.



F. J. CLARK & W. H \NXWAN CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

AfPLICATlON FILED AUG. 7. IBU- 1,%&%@.. Patented; 3211110, 1918.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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F. J. CLARK & W. H.-WYMAN. CLOTH'CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FIlFD AUGJ, 1917 1 2353 35% Patented Jan.15,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, FREDERICK d. CLARE Ahl'lf WILLIAM Wi YMAN, 013 BUFFALO, NEW YORK, .rlfiSIGNORS I 310 EASTMAN MAGHXNE CU, 431 BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Janis, acts.

I Application tiled August 7, 1917. Serial No. 184,959.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

. Be it known that we, lfnnonrucn .3. Ghana and fhnualir H. l VYMAX, citizens of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York,

have invented a new and useful improvement in Cloth-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in portable cloth cutting machines of the kind that, are adapted to be moved about by hand on a cutting table and have a knife which is driven by a motor supported by a vertical standard rising from the base of the machine. -These machines are usually provided with a presser foot "adapted to bear on the cloth in front of the knife for holding the cloth down against gthebase of 'the-emachinc, or a knife guard disposed in front ol the knife, the presser foot or guard being mounted so as to enable it to be adjusted vertically as may be necessary when cutting lays of cloth or material which vary in height.

The object of the invention is to provide means of simple and practical construction by which the presser foot or knife guard can be quickly and easily adjusted to and positively secured in the desired position, and which necessitates the use of only one hand for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation, on a reduced scale, of a cloth cutting machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the presser foot or guard and its support detached from the machine. l

Fig. is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view, full size, thereof on line H, Fig. 1.

n i. Fig. 5 1s a reverse side elevation, full size,

showing the securing means for the presser foot or guard. in holding position.

Fig. 6 is a similar view.. howing the released position of the parts. I

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar respectively to Figs. 5 and 6 of a modified construction.

Fig. 9is a front elevation or a presser foot or guard and its support showing a guard operating and securingdevice of another modified construction.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary side elevation eti' thereoitl on an enlarged scale.

Fig. ll is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 12 is a sectional plan view thereof on line 12-12, Fig. 13.

Figs. 13 and H are sectional elevations thereof on line 13 13, Fig. 11.

lVith the exception of the means hereinafter describedlor adjusting and securing thepresscr foot or guard,-the machine may be of any usual or desired construction, an electric cloth cuttingmachine of'well known construction having a vertically reciprocating knife being illustrated in the drawings. A represents the machine base adapted to rest and move on a cutting table beneath the material to he cut; ll the vertical standard which rises from the base and supports an electric motor (I; D the knife which is driven by the motor and reciprocates in a vertical guide or slot in the front edge of the standard lC the presser foot, and e the presser bar to the lower end of which the prcsscr foot. is secured. The presser foot l) and bar c being located as usual in front of the knife l), constitute a. guard to prevent a person from being cut by the knife.

in the constructions shown, the presser bar is arranged to slide vertically in a guide slot 10 in a support or block 11 which is preferably deiachably secured to the frame in any suitable way, as for instance by a latch lever 12 and a headed stud 13 so that thesupport with the presser bar or guard in place thereon can be readily applied to and removed fromthe machine. The de tachable mounting of the support. 11, however, is not a part of this invention and the pressei" bar or guard can be-slrdably of the guide] slot 10 and overlaps the presser bar so that it serves to-retain the presser barin its guide slot.

An adjusting handle and securing device projects from the presserbar or guard and cotiperatcs with the locking bar for hold ing the presser "foot or guard in adjusted positions. In the construction; shown in Figs. 1 to 6, this device consists of an arm 15 which is fixedly secured tothe Presser bar and extends forwardly therefrom at one side the l cking bar, a lever 16 which is tending forwardly from the presser bar e.

fulcrumed or movably connected to the arm 15 and has an angular slot or opening 17 through which the locking bar passes, and a spring 18 which normally holds the lever 16 in a position such as to cause the locking bar 14 to bind in the slot 17 of the lever, as

shown in Fig. 5. The outer end of the lever.

is preferably formed with a flat loo thumb piece 16 for the engagement of the thumb. As shown, the arm 15, which is curved, passes through a slot 19 in the lever 16, the lever bears on a cross fulcrum pin '20 passing through the arm 15, and the spring 18 consists of a coiled wire having one end secured to the arm 15 and the other end bearing against the inner arm of the lever. A notch 21 is shown in the presser bar to afford clearance for the inner end of the lever 162 The upper end of this notch also forms a stop to limit the upward movement of the inner end of the lever 16. The lever and arm 15 form a pinch handle operating and securing device, for the presser.

bar. By grasping the outer ends of the lever and arm 15 between the thumb and fore-finger and pressing the parts toward each other as indicated in'Fig. 6 the lever will be released from the locking bar 14-and the presser bar and footor guard can be moved up or down to any desired positionby means of the pinch handle. When the pressure on the lever is released it will be swung by the spring 18 to the position to bind 011 or grip the locking bar 14 and will hold the presser foot' or guard positively and securely from upward movement. The presser foot can, however, be lowered into contact with themat'erial being cut by press Ling downwardly directly on the presser bar struction and operate in a similar manner.

A diiferent construction is shown, for example, in Figs. 7 and 8. In this construction, 15 represents an arm fixed to and ex- Two levers 16 and 16are fulcrumed on this arm, and are provided at their inner ends with slotsi'l through which the locking bar 14; passes. A coil spring 18 between the outer ends of the levers normally holds them in an inwardly converging position, as shown in Fig. 7. In this position the levers Bind on or grip the holding bar and one-lever holds the presser bar from upward movement while the other lever holds the bar from downward movement. By pinching together the outer ends of the levers which constitute flat thumb and finboth upward and downward movement and the presser feet can only be moved by means of the pinch handle, but,as in the other construction, the presser foot or guard can be quickly and easily adjusted and secured with one hand. F i

Another form of presser foot or guard operating and securing device is shown in Figs. 9 to 14 and comprises a relatively fixed part 25 secured to the presser foot bar 6 and having a slotted or guide portion 26 embracing the locking bar 14 to guide the presser foot bar in its movement lengthwise of the locking bar. The fixed part 25 has an inclined face 27 which, with the face of the locking bar, forms a wedge shaped recess into which a part of a movable member 28 of the operating and securing device maybe pressed to lock the presser-foot bar relatively to the locking bar. In the construction shown the movable member 28 is provided with a bar or bolt 29 which is slidable in a recess or slot 30 which extends inwardly from the inclined face 27 of the fixed part 25. The bolt 29 is provided with a notch or groove 31 through whichapin 32 extends which is arranged in the wedge shaped recess. The movable member is preferably pressed away from the fixed part 25 by means of a spring 33 which tends to force the pin 32 into the wedge shaped recess and to lock the presser foot bar to the locking bar. In order to facilitate the releasing and adjustment of the presser foot bartho fixed part 25 and movable member 28 are provided with finger-pieces 34 and 35 respectively so that the presser foot bar can be released by pressin together the finger pieces 3 1and 35 whic causes the bolt29 to be moved in a direction (upwardly in the construction shown) to move the pin out of wedging engagement with the presser foot bar and the locking bar and permit ad justment of the presser foot bar. 1

' We claim as our invention a- 1. In a cloth cutting machine, the or hid nation with the cutting knife, and a be adjustable up and down relative to the l; he, of a stationary locking member exteno n substantially parallel with the direction 0 measles movement said movable bar, and an adi i ting device for said movable bar ineluding a part which is mounted on said 21 table bar and is movable into frictional entwith said stationaiy member an hm ling said movable hair in dili'erent adjnsted positir .s, I

in cloth cutting machine, the combi- 93']. with ho cutting; knife, and a bar adnset-ibis up and down relative to the knife,

stationary locking member extendin" snbsta ti-ally parallel with the direction o l ,nt of said movable bar, and a part d on said movable bar and movable 1 alongsaid stationary member,

being movable to a position to grip onary member and hold said movar in different adjusted positions.

n a cloth cutting machine, the combination with. the cutting knife, and a bar adjustable up and down relative to the knife, a stationary locking member extending substantially parallel With the direction of movement of said movable bar, and a pinch handle de ice mounted on said movable bar and cooperating with said locking member for holding the movable bar in ad usted po- 5: sitions, said device comprising parts arranged to be grasped and pinched between thumb and linger for releasing and ad g, said movable ban.

5. -n a cloth cutting machine, the combin with the cutting knife, and a bar adjustable up and down relative to the knife, of a stationary locking member extending substantially parallel With the direction of movementof said movable bar, an arm fixed to and projecting out from said movable bar, and a device loosely mounted on said arm and movable to and from holding relation to said stationary member.

6. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the cutting knife, and a bar adjustable up and down relative to the knife, of a stationary locking member extending substantially parallel With the direction of Brnovement of said movable bar, a pinch han tile device mounted on said movable bar and cooperating with said locking member for holding the movable bar in adjusted positions, said {device colnprisino' parts arranged to begrasped and pinched between the thumb and finger for releasing and adjusting said movable bar, and a spring for normally holding said pinch handle device in position to clamp said adjustable bar to said locking member.

7. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the cutting knife,'and a bar adjustable up and down relative to the knife, of a stationary locking member extending substantially parallel With the direction of movement of said movable bar, an arm fixed to andprojecting out from said movable bar, a lever which is mounted on said arm and is movable to and from holding engagement with said locking member, and a springwhich normally holds said lever in holding engagement with said locking member to hold said movable bar stationary.

Witness our hands this 3rd day of August 1917.

FREDERICK .l. CLARK. WILLIAM WYMAN.

Witnesses;

Ween STEVENSON, WM. H. SHANAHAN. 

